“Hi,” he said.
He straightened and stepped into the room, looking even taller than usual in jeans and boots, his dark hair combed back from his face. His eyes seemed to see deep inside her, and Erin trembled, feeling the urge to back away from him, but instead she stood up and reached out her hand. “It’s good to see you.”
He clasped her hand. “You too. I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation, so I know you’re busy. If another time would be better, just let me know, and I can come back. I wanted to find some music.”
“You’ve come to the right place. I’m never too busy to help someone find music. What are you looking for?”
“There’s a piece by Schubert, I believe. Somewhat melancholy … thoughtful. I’m not sure which one it is. I was hoping you could help me find it?”
Erin looked at him with surprise. “I love Schubert. There are a lot of pieces that fit that description, though. For piano?”
“Yes.”
“Do you play?”
“Sometimes, a little.”
She pulled out sheet music from the pile of papers on her table. “This is one of my favorites—‘Night and Dreams.’”
Erin opened the music and began to play. The melody was a mixture of joy and sorrow, and she couldn’t help but be moved by the beauty of the piece. She played for three or four minutes.
“It’s beautiful,” Michael said. “It’s just what I was looking for.”
Erin smiled. “Wonderful. I can find you a new copy.”
They went into the main part of the store, and Erin thumbed through the sheet music and found the piece he wanted. They continued looking through the music at the different selections.
“Did you enjoy Aleesha’s little get-together the other day?” she asked.
“Yes, I did. Thanks for showing me around. I enjoyed you as much as the gallery.”
Erin glanced at him to see if he was joking, but his face was as serious as ever.
“Bruce and I stayed and had a very entertaining afternoon. My brother—he and Aleesha seem to have really hit it off. I had a hard time prying him away at all.”
Erin hadn’t heard anything about this. She wondered what Aleesha thought and was glad they were having lunch together so soon. “Really?” was all she said. Then she remembered the strange dream she’d had about Bruce, and she looked up at Michael.
“How is Bruce?” she asked.
He spoke softly. “He’s all right.”
Erin felt a wave of relief and nodded her head. “Good. Has he gone back to Portland?”
“Yes, he left this morning.” He leaned back against the counter.
Erin pulled out a few more music selections and glanced through them. “Do you think he wants to see Aleesha again?”
Michael grinned. “No doubt in my mind.”
“Really? Aleesha never dates.”
“She does now.”
Erin opened her eyes wide. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, she’s seeing my brother this Saturday. He can’t stay away from her and is coming back for the weekend.”
Erin’s mouth dropped. “I can’t wait to talk to her.”
Michael laughed. His eyes beamed, and his face, which seemed so angular when he was serious, softened. Erin wondered how she could have felt afraid of him when she had first seen him this morning.
“Would you like to try these pieces by Schubert, too?” she asked, handing him two more pieces of music.
“Thank you.” His face became serious again. “Thank you very much.”
“Anytime.”
They both stood there in silence.
“I’ll let you get back to work then,” Michael said.
“Thanks for coming in.” Erin reached out her hand. He grasped it, and for a moment they stood still.
“It was nice to see you again.” He turned around and left. Erin watched him walk out of the shop and then went back to her studio to prepare for her next student. After a few minutes, she stopped and looked out the window. What was it about Michael that was so compelling? She saw his eyes vividly in her mind. She shook her head, sighed, and turned back to the piano.
By lunchtime she had finished the lesson, and Ed had arrived. She grabbed her jacket and went to meet Aleesha.
“Here I am,” Aleesha called out to her as she entered the cafe. She stood up and kissed Erin on the cheek, then hugged her. Aleesha was obviously feeling good.
Erin decided to jump right to it. “All right, I have to know what’s going on with you and Michael Woodward’s brother.”
Aleesha didn’t hesitate. “Darling, he is the most wonderful man. I’m crazy about him.”
“I’m amazed,” Erin said. “How did this happen?”
“I don’t know. I realize I’ve said many times that I don’t want a man to clutter up my life, so this must be very surprising. It is to me, too. But when Michael introduced me to Bruce, I felt like he had just given me Michelangelo’s David. I’ve never been so drawn to anyone before. All I can think about is Bruce. I’m hopeless, Erin.”
“Have you seen him since? Does he feel the same way about you?” Erin asked.
“Oh, yes, he does. We spent all day Sunday together, even though he was a bit under the weather. Monday he spent the day with me at the gallery, and we had dinner together that night. We were together Tuesday and all that evening, and then this morning he had to drive back to Portland. He’s coming back Friday night.”
“Oh, my gosh. It’s really true.”
“Very true. I had to tell you about it, but I’ve been so busy with him that I haven’t had a chance until now.”
“This is so sudden, it has me concerned. Be careful,” Erin said.
Aleesha squeezed Erin’s hand. “I knew you’d say that. You are always so careful yourself. All I can say is that this is unlike anything I’ve felt before, and I like it. I’m not worried at all. But I won’t do anything stupid, dear.”
“Good.”
The waitress took their orders and brought them some iced tea.
“Michael Woodward came into the shop this morning,” Erin said. “Have you seen much of him these past few days?”
“A little,” Aleesha said. “We spent some time at his house and had dinner with him last night. He is a charming man.”
Erin sipped her tea. “Hmm. Do you ever feel a little odd around him? As if he can see through your clothes?”
Aleesha laughed. “No. I never noticed that. He’s always been extremely pleasant. Much quieter and more serious than his brother, but—maybe it’s because he writes thrillers—I understand how he could seem a bit intimidating.”
“I’ve never read any of his books. I don’t think that’s it. Sometimes it seems like he looks right into me.”
Aleesha shook her head. “You always have been more intuitive than me. Maybe there is something strange about him. Or maybe you’re feeling an attraction?”
“Oh, no, I don’t think so. But tell me more about Bruce.”
Aleesha told Erin about all the time she and Bruce had spent together, and how much she looked forward to seeing him again on the weekend. When Erin finally looked at her watch, she saw she needed to get back to work. As she walked back to the store, she realized she should have asked Aleesha about Kenneth and Gary and their business connection, but Aleesha’s happy news had driven it from her mind.
Chapter 26
The last dirty dish was washed, dried, and put away, and Erin sat down at the table with Gwen and Matthew. The sky was growing dark, and she put her head on the table and closed her eyes.
“How are doing with your math?” she asked Matt.
“I only have five more problems. But then I have to work on my science project.”
“See my picture?” Gwen said.
Erin lifted her head. “It’s beautiful.” She picked up the picture to get a closer look. “I love the trees—and the cabin looks so cozy. Who lives in it?”
“No one. It’s a vacation cabin. You have
to go on a long trail through the woods to get there.”
The phone rang, and Erin went into the kitchen to answer it.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Erin.” It was Gary.
“How’s everything with your friend?” Erin glanced at the children. Matt was showing pictures of stars from his science book to Gwen.
“Who?”
“Your partner, Henry?”
“Oh. He’s all right. We’ll get it taken care of.” Gary paused. “Sorry I had to leave so early last night.”
“Don’t worry about it. I can’t stay up late on weeknights anyway.”
“Yeah, well. I’d like to see you again.”
Erin paused and lowered her voice. “Are you sure you want to get more involved with a very unglamorous widow who has two children?”
“I wouldn’t ask you if I didn’t want to.”
“All right,” Erin said.
“How’s Friday night?”
“Friday’s fine. What time?” she asked.
“I’ll be there around eight. I’ve got a five o’clock meeting and should be done by six—then I’ll head up. Is there any place up there that has dancing?”
“Sure. A few places,” Erin said. “It’s been years since I’ve gone dancing.” She thought back, trying to remember the last time she’d been dancing. Of course, it was with William—New Year’s Eve five months before he had died.
“Then we’ll have to do that,” Gary said.
He asked her to hold on for a minute, and she heard muffled voices through the phone on Gary’s end.
“I’ve got to go,” he said. “I’ll see you Friday.”
“Okay.”
*****
The crickets quieted their chirping as Erin approached a small house on a narrow sidewalk edged with boxwood. The dim sky hovered between dusk and dark, and there was no light from the house. A strange prickly feeling came over her. She looked down at her clothes and was puzzled to see them changing from her usual black pants, shirt, and boots, to a short red dress and heels, and then back again. She stopped and felt her arms, making sure the fabric of her jacket was really there. She felt for her sword. It was there as well. Where had that dress come from?
She approached the front door, paused and listened. There were voices from inside, urgent but quiet, and she knew the dreamer was there. Without making a sound, she turned the doorknob and went in. The house was empty—no furniture, bare wood floors. No one was there. Erin looked around at the white walls, holding her breath. Rooms opened to her right and left, and a hallway led to the back. Suddenly, a tremendous crash exploded from the rear of the house, and a man shouted.
Erin dashed down the hall and stopped at the door to the kitchen. The back wall had crumbled to the ground. Dust rose from piles of broken sheetrock and splintered lumber. An enormous man stood there, his fists bloody from the force of knocking over the wall; his breath came in gasps, and as he stood, he clenched and unclenched his fists as if impatient for more destruction. His eyes searched until they locked onto a corner of the room. Erin followed his gaze. Another man cowered on the floor with his hands covering his head, and he moaned. The huge man lunged at him, grabbed him by his throat, and lifted him into the air. The smaller man flailed his arms and legs as he tried to free himself but was flung across the room where he smacked into a wall and crumpled to the floor.
“Where are they?” growled the huge man.
The smaller man groaned.
“What did you do with them?”
“Nothing … I’ll get them soon,” moaned the small man.
Erin crept behind the giant, grabbed his arm and pulled him around to face her. He towered over her, but she had her sword drawn and at his throat before he could raise his fist. She pinned him against the wall. He stood still and stared at her; his eyes scrunched to narrow points, his mouth drawn down.
“You will leave now,” she said.
He laughed. “What is this? You brought a woman to protect you?”
Erin stepped closer, pressing her blade against his throat until a drop of blood seeped from the giant’s flesh. “Just a little more pressure, and your throat will split like a burst pipe. You won’t take another breath again. Leave.”
“All right, all right. I’m leaving. This isn’t over, Arthur—you’re a dead man, and I’ll be the one to do it,” he said to the man on the floor and spat on him.
The crumpled man raised his head, sneering with a silver glint in his eyes, “I’ll get you first.” He looked up. “Erin?”
Her mouth dropped open. “Gary?”
She saw that her clothes had changed back to the red dress and heels. Her sword was gone. The huge man grinned, swung his arm and struck her, sending her flying across the room. She gasped for breath and scrambled back to her feet, the taste of blood in her mouth, but not before he had grabbed Gary again and lifted him off the floor.
He punched Gary in the face, and Erin leapt forward and kicked him in the back, shoving him forward. He threw Gary down as he caught his balance and turned to face her. Again dressed in her usual black, she jumped in close and punched him five times fast to his throat, then kicked him hard in his chest. He staggered backwards, unable to breathe with his throat collapsed and the wind knocked out of his lungs. He fell with a crash that shook the house.
Erin ran to kneel beside Gary who was lying on his face without moving. She turned him over, and he opened his eyes.
“Where is he?” Gary mumbled.
“On the floor. He won’t hurt you anymore. Let me help you up.”
“What are you doing here?” Gary tried to sit up.
Erin helped him stand. “You’re having a dream. I’m just part of your dream.”
He looked at the giant on the floor. “What did you do to him?” His gaze scanned the room. “Where’s the other man?”
“What other man?”
“He was here before. I don’t know his name.”
Erin frowned. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen him. Were you talking to him before this monster crashed in here?”
“Yeah. But how did you get here?”
She looked around the kitchen and through the doorway but didn’t see anyone.
“I come when I’m called.” Erin grabbed his arms so he would focus on her. “Now I want you to do something. Think of a place you’ve been that was wonderful—maybe in the Caribbean? A vacation? A beautiful place that you love.”
“Fiji.”
“Think of Fiji, Gary. The beaches, the sunshine, and how peaceful it was there.”
The floor began to turn to sand, and the sound of waves was in the distance.
Gary glanced up and pointed to the doorway. “There he is.” Erin looked up and could see a dark figure in the shadows. It turned and ran from the house.
“Think of Fiji,” whispered Erin. She turned and followed the dark figure out the door.
Chapter 27
The man slipped between the trees that bordered the house, the darkness almost obscuring him. Erin followed as silently and quickly as he had done. After striking a path, he ran, and his pace was fast and sure-footed. She could see he knew his way well.
The forest closed around Erin, and she became aware of the night noises: a stream bubbling close to the path, the wind rustling the leaves, the snap of a twig breaking in the distance. In the dark it was hard to keep up with him. Erin followed him through the forest, confident he was not aware of her presence. She was determined to find out who and what he was, and what his purpose was in entering Gary’s dream.
His pace slowed, and Erin slowed as well. He had come to a cabin in the forest, small, overgrown and dark, nearly hidden by the shrubbery. No one else was there.
He pushed open the door and entered. Through the window Erin could see him light a candle, then light the fire that had been laid out in the hearth. He stood facing the fire as the flames caught and grew, and he removed his hat, then turned and faced her, placing the hat on a nearby wooden table.
<
br /> She drew back from the window then cautiously looked in again. This was the first time Erin had seen him in any light. He was tall and lean with dark hair that fell over his forehead to his eyes. Rough stubble covered his cheeks and chin. His dark eyes were deep set. He seemed familiar, and Erin was sure she should know who he was. He took off his gloves and passed through a door to another room. Erin pushed the door open and slipped inside in silence, crouching behind an overstuffed leather chair. She pulled her knife from her boot.
He returned carrying a bottle and a goblet. He poured himself some of the dark red wine, took a long swallow, and set the goblet down, then began to unbutton his jacket. He tossed it onto the chair in front of Erin, then sat in the chair in front of the fire to remove his boots.
Erin leapt up, grabbed his hair from behind to pull his head back, and held her knife to his throat.
“Who are you?” she whispered, looking down into his upturned face.
He sat perfectly still, staring at her with dark, upturned eyes, inhaled a slow breath, and said, “Michael.”
She gripped his hair tighter. “What are you?”
He frowned. “A man—a viator like you.”
Erin squinted as she studied him. “What? You tried to keep me from fighting the shadows. You threw me against a wall in the cavern.”
His eyes widened. “In the cavern? The mortifer in the corner—it was almost on you. I got you out of its way.” His nostrils flared. “Remove your knife from my throat; I’ve seen the damage it can do. I won’t harm you.”
Erin’s heart pounded. She hesitated and studied his face, then let go of his hair and dropped her knife to her side.
He jumped to his feet and grabbed her arms, his eyes flashing. “Why did you follow me? To kill me?”
Erin stepped back. “No. I wanted to find out who you are.”
Michael let go of her, rubbed his throat, and grimaced. “Sit down. Put your knife away.” He gestured to a chair.
He stepped into the other room again and was back in a moment with another goblet. He filled it and held it out to her with a stony face. “Have some wine.”
Viator (The Viator Chronicles Book 1) Page 14